Switch for fire prevention devices for motion picture machines



Jan. 11, 1938. E. SAELENS ET AL 2,104,952

SWITCH FOR FIRE PREVENTION DEVICES FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES FiledJan. 23, 1935 zzvenoraz foMo/va JAELENS CELEST/N MORE/1U L236.HZ-Zcrr'ney,

Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT (JFFIQE SWITCH FOR FIREPREVENTION DEVICES FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES Edmond Saelens, St,Boniface, and Celestin Moreau, Notre Dame des Lourdes, Manitoba, CanadaApplication January 23, 1935, Serial No. 3,154

1 Claim. (01. 20052) In the operation of motion picture projectionthrough an opening 23 in the head mechanism machines, it is a well knownfact, that a moving and into a switch box 24 which is fastened therefilmwill safely pass across the strong rays from to. The end of the rod isthen forked and each the projection lens without becoming ignited, butfork slotted to receive a pivot pin 25 connecting 5 when a film breakoccurs in the head mechanism, a pair of cranks 2i? and 22? which arepivotally 5 and the loose end piles up under the rays, heat is mountedon a U-shaped bracket 23 located on quickly absorbed resulting incombustion. The the bottom of the switch box. A spring wire 25 object ofthe present invention is to provide atis fastened to the rod 25 at thebase of the forks, tachments to the projecting machine which willextends down therebetween, is then bent back on interrupt the raysshould the film break and itself to come up and form a spring pressure10 simultaneously shut off the motor of the machine against the pin 25.This construction is propreventing jammed accumulation of the film invided to permit the use of old or new film, there the head mechanism.being a difference in the distance between the A further object of theinvention is to construct slots on the sides thereof. the attachments ina simple, cheap and durable The upper ends of the cranks 2t and 2'! are15 manner without altering any of the working pivotally connected to alink 29 and the opposite parts of the projecting machine. end of thelink is pivotally connected to a pair of With the above importantobjects in view the rocker bars 36 pivoted at 3| to a U-shaped bracketinvention essentially consists in the arrangement 32 suppo ted f aninsulating p a 33 Which i and construction of parts hereinafter moreparturn is supported between the walls of the switch 20 ticularlydescribed, reference being had to the box. A roller 34 is rotatablymounted between accompanying drawing in which: the lower ends of therocker bars 36. A pair of Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview standards 35 and 36 project downward from the showing the lowerpart of the head mechanism plate 3 and the lower end of the standard 36and the automatic switch mechanism associated pivotally supports one endof an insulating bar 31 25 therewith. which is provided with a plate 33electrically con- Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view takennected with the standard 36. A coil spring 39 at 2-2, Figure 1.interposed between the bar 81 and the plate 33 Fig. 3 is an enlargedhorizontal section taken holds the said plate in electrical contact withthe at 3-3, Figure 1. lower end of the standard 55 and also, the end of30 Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view the bar 31 in contactwith the roller 34. The taken at 44, Figure 3. standards and 36 arefurther electrically con,-

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring nected through the wires 49and 4'?! with a snap circuit of the invention. switch 42. 35 In thedrawings, like characters of reference in- FIOm the above it Will be ppat if the 35 dicate corresponding parts in the several figures. e fi S ud br k in the ead mechanism the In the operation of the usual motionpicture roller l5 will fall and in so doing cause the roller projectionmachine, the film in the upper maga- 34 to move the bar 31 down anddiseng e the zine, enters ahead mechanism 5, passes across the plate 38from the standard 35, stOpp the mo- 40 rays of the light beam from thecondenser lens, t If it should be desired to run the motor 40 and thenpasses to the lower magazine through a while the plate and standard aredisconnected sound head 6; the snap switch 42 may be turned on.

Referring to Fig. l, the base of the head mechan making the electricalon ect ons on the nism 5 is provided with a transversely positionedmachine include the pr ent invention the 5 1 1 1; i2, A U--shapedbracket I3 is supported Wiring connections are altered to that shown in45 from the block and in turn pi'votally supports e diagram in FigureThe ain lead Wires the ends of an X-shaped framework 14. The to themachine are indicated at 67 and 68, that opposite ends of this frameworkrotatably renumber 6! connecting to one terminal of the fiush ceive aflanged roller 55 which is in contact with, switch 9, and that 68connecting to one terminal and rides the face of, a film it which ispassing of the motor. The other terminal of the fiush 50 from the lastsprocket ll in the head mechanism switch is connected by a lead wire 69to the terto the first roller IS in the sound head 6. A rod minal 65 onthe casing 62. The terminal 66 of i9 is pivotedat 20 to the frameworkand the opthe same casing is connected by a lead wire 10 to posite endof this rod is connected to a further rod the standard 33, while thestandard 35 is connect- 2! through a turnbuckle 22. The rod 21 passes edto a lead wire H which completes the circuit to 55 the motor. The snapswitch 42 and lead Wires 40 and M are also indicated in the diagram.

We will now describe the operation assuming the various parts are in theposition shown in the drawing. The operator strikes the carbons in thelamp house and the fiush switch 9 is pressed to start the motor andcause the film to move down into the lower magazine. The magnetized endof the core 59 will retain the dowser 55 in position out of the way.Accordingly the rays of light coming from the hood pass through the filmand out to the projection screen. Should the film break the flangedroller IE will drop, and the circuit will be broken between the plate 38and the standard 35 shutting oi? the motor. As the current stops in thewinding 54 the core 58 becomes de-energized and accordingly the dowser55 will be released to swing into the vertical position and cause thedisc 51 to blanket the light rays, to the film.

From the above arrangement it will be apparent that by automaticallyshutting off the light rays immediately after the film breaks, fire ispositively prevented and by simultaneously shutting off the motorthrough the switch, much valuable film is prevented from damage plus thesaving in the operators time in clearing the machine. i

What We claim as our invention is:

In a fire prevention device for moving picture machines including meansfor stopping the motor and interrupting the light beam upon the breakingof the film; a film riding roller mounted in a swingable frame, saidroller and frame being adapted to drop down upon the breaking of thefilm, a turnbuckle having one end attached to said frame, a yokeswingably mounted at its base to a support, the other end of saidturnbuckle being pivotally connected to said yoke between the free endthereof and the base, a link having one end pivotally connected to thefree end of said yoke, a rocker bar pivctally mounted between its endsto a support, one end of said rocker bar being pivotally connected tothe other end of said link, an anti-friction roller freely mounted onthe other end of said rocker bar, a substantially horizontally disposedmovable contact bar pivotally connected at one end to a support, astationary contact above said bar, spring means normally maintainingsaid bar in engagement with said stationary contact, said roller havingan anti-friction connection with said movable contact whereby thedropping down of said film riding roller actuates said turnbuckle toswing said yoke whereby to actuate said link to swing said rocker barabout its pivot and cause said roller to depress said movable contact toopen the circuit.

EDMOND SAELENS. CELES'I'IN MOREAU.

